E. coli not less in Seattle
King County Public Health agency shut down an Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle’s central district on Wednesday afternoon after connecting the establishment to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, health agency spokeswoman Kathryn Ross has confirmed to Food Safety News.
At least two people have fallen ill in the outbreak, and Ross said the likelihood of others being sickened is uncertain.
In its closure notification, the agency cited Ambassel Ehtiopian Cuisine & Bar with five safety violations, including the outbreak.
Other violations included foods not being protected from cross-contamination, improperly sanitized equipment, and poor personal hygiene among employees due to inadequate handwashing facilities.
Ross said that the specific cause of the outbreak was not yet known, and the agency would have more information soon on when or whether the restaurant will reopen.
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Recent Canadian E. coli Outbreak Update
There are now eight confirmed cases of people getting sick from E. coli after eating beef linked to recalls of frozen burgers.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says the latest case is a person from Saskatchewan.
The agency says this case is linked to recalled Gourmet Meat Shoppe Big and Juicy frozen beef burgers.
Saskatchewan health officials says someone got sick in the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, but is recovering.
The agency says the confirmed cases include four people in Ontario, two in Alberta, one in Manitoba and one in Saskatchewan.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled the burgers distributed in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories on Feb. 19.
Safeway Hamburger Recalled Due to E. coli
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Canada Safeway Limited are warning the public not to consume The Gourmet Meat Shoppe and The Butcher’s Cut brands of Frozen Beef Burgers described below because these products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.
The following products are affected by this Alert:
|
Brand |
Product |
Size |
UPC |
Code |
|
The Gourmet |
Meat Shoppe Big & Juicy Burger | 1.13 kg | 0 58200 10650 3 | BEST BEFORE 2013 AU 14 EST 752 |
|
The Gourmet |
Meat Shoppe Prime Rib Burger | 907 g | 0 58200 10733 3 | BEST BEFORE 2013 AU 14 EST 752 |
|
The Butcher’s Cut |
Pure Beef Patties 10 Patties |
1.13 kg | 0 58200 21604 2 | BEST BEFORE 2013 AU 14 EST 752 |
|
The Butcher’s Cut |
Pure Beef Patties 20 Patties |
2.27 kg | 0 58200 21592 2 | BEST BEFORE 2013 AU 14 EST 752 |
|
The Butcher’s Cut |
Pure Beef Patties 40 Patties |
4.45 kg | 0 58200 21594 6 | BEST BEFORE 2013 AU 14 EST 752 |
These products have been distributed in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Northwest Territories. Canada Safeway Limited, Calgary, Alberta, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
This recall is the result of E. coli O157:H7 product testing by the CFIA related to an ongoing outbreak investigation. The CFIA is currently conducting a food safety investigation at the producing facility to determine if any additional products may be affected.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario KFC Taco Bell E. coli Outbreak Over
In total, 30 cases of illness were reported in the Maritimes and Ontario as part of this outbreak. The last reported case became ill on January 9, 2013; no new cases of illness have been reported since.
The investigation indicated that the most probable cause of the E. coli O157:H7 illnesses was shredded lettuce distributed by FreshPoint Inc. primarily to some KFC and KFC-Taco Bell restaurants.
Lettuce has a short shelf life, therefore contaminated products are unlikely to still be available and the risk to the Canadians remains low.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) worked with FreshPoint Inc. to recall any affected products.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with provincial/territorial partners, will continue to monitor for and investigate any new cases of E.coli that may be related to this outbreak as part of its routine surveillance activities.
E. coli O157:H7 Veal Recalled in California
San Jose Valley Veal, a Santa Clara, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,260 pounds of veal trimmings that may be contaminated with E. Coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The following products are subject to recall:
• 60-pound, cardboard box cases of “SAN JOSE VALLEY VEAL AND BEEF INC.” boneless veal trimmings.
Boxes may contain the case codes: “L-1 11112,” “L-1 11212,” “L-1 11512,” “L-1 11612,” “L-1 11712,” “L-1 11812″ or “L-1 11912″ and also bear the establishment number “EST. 2828″ inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The products subject to recall were produced between Nov. 1 and Nov. 9, 2012 then were transported to a federal facility for further distribution. FSIS and the establishment are concerned that some product may be frozen and in customers’ freezers.
The problem was discovered when a customer tested a shipment of veal and reported non-negative results. The customer held the shipment pending laboratory results, but other product from the producer’s same lot had shipped into commerce.
Longhorn Steakhouse Lettuce E. coli Victim, Mitchell Scheible, Speaks Out
WLWT News 5 reports that a local 12-year-old is finally home after spending five days in a hospital fighting a serious illness because of something he ate at a local restaurant.
The Scheible family said 12-year-old Mitchell Scheible was hospitalized after a bout of E. coli made him sick for several weeks.
“When you are awakened in the middle of the night by, ‘Hey, I don’t feel good mom,’ you expect throwing up or whatever but when you go and find blood everywhere — I immediately called the doctor,” Mitchell’s mother, Evie Scheible, said.
The family had gone to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse in Green Township about a week and a half before Christmas.
After an investigation by the Health Department and the cooperation of the restaurant it was determined that a bad batch of lettuce was the culprit.
E. coli was found on some salad that made Mitchell and four others very sick.
Mitchell lost 16 pounds during the ordeal, making it hard to bounce back as he tries to play basketball.
“My coaches have been nervous because every time I start playing I get all pale and weak; so, yeah it’s been tough,” Mitchell said.
Evie Scheible said, “The key is knowing your child. He’s a tough kid. When he came to me with tears and the blood — you normally don’t see bloody stools.”
Wisconsin E. coli Ground Beef Recall
FSIS was notified of an investigation of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses by the Wisconsin Division of Public Health on Jan. 10, 2013. Working in conjunction with the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, three case-patients with the outbreak strain have been identified in the state with illness onset dates ranging from Dec. 29, 2012 to Jan. 1, 2013. Among the three case-patients with available information, all three reported consuming raw ground round; two consumed product ground and purchased on Dec. 24, 2012; the third consumed product ground and purchased on Dec. 30, 2012 prior to illness onset. FSIS is continuing to work with the Watertown Department of Public Health, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on this investigation.
Glenn’s Market and Catering, a Watertown, WI establishment, is recalling approximately 2,532 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The following products are subject to recall:
• Various size packages of Glenn’s Market ground round, ground chuck and ground beef sold between Dec. 22, 2012 and Jan. 4, 2013.
FreshPoint Lettuce Served at Canadian KFC and Taco Bell Sicked 28 with E. coli
A total 28 E. coli O157:H7 illnesses have been linked to KFC and Taco Bell Restaurants in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is working with FreshPoint Inc. to recall any remaining affected lettuce products. At this point, the source of contamination for the shredded lettuce has not been determined. The CFIA has traced the lettuce to its origin in California and has notified U.S. authorities of this finding.
There are 6 cases in New Brunswick, 10 in Nova Scotia and 12 in Ontario. The majority of cases have recovered or are recovering. Additional cases of illness may be identified and linked to this outbreak in the future.
Homestead Creamery Artisan Cheese Removed from Store Shelves
The State Milk Board, in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, announced today that Homestead Creamery of Jamesport, Mo. is voluntarily withdrawing a batch of its Flory’s Favorite cheese from the marketplace.
Preliminary test results received from the Missouri State Health Laboratory indicate the cheese may be contaminated with Shiga-Toxin producing E.coli, which can lead to food borne illness. Confirmatory tests are ongoing.
The Homestead Creamery plant license to sell milk products in Missouri has been temporarily suspended, pending the results of the investigation by the State Milk Board and Missouri departments of Agriculture and Health and Senior Services.
The withdrawn product, Flory’s Favorite, is a 60-day aged cheese made with raw milk. Packages of the cheese are marked with “Packed On 210″ on the label. This affects approximately 250 pounds of cheese and does not affect any other dairy products from Homestead Creamery.
The withdrawn cheese was sold at Homestead Creamery facility in Jamesport, Mo. and may have been sold by the following retailers:
HyVee in Liberty, Mo.
HyVee in Trenton, Mo.
Benedict Builders’ Farm in Knob Noster, Mo.
Milton Creamery in Milton, Iowa.
The Missouri State Milk Board continues to review the company’s records to determine when consumers may have purchased the product. Anyone who has purchased the cheese may return the unused portion to the store from which they purchased the product.
